New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells is one of the most polarizing players on the roster. While he is certainly a strong defender, his lack of consistent offense can be maddening.

Wells just endured a miserable season at the plate in 2025, slashing just .219/.275/.436. His walk rate dipped, his strikeout rate skyrocketed and his future with the Yankees became a bit murkier.

However, it doesn't appear that New York will be moving on from the 26-year-old anytime soon.

Brendan Kuty of The Athletic shot down a fan idea of the Yankees potentially playing Cody Bellinger at first base in the event that they re-sign him, noting that would require them to jettison Wells.

"If the Yankees sign Bellinger and [Jasson] Dominguez ends up the starting left fielder, it’ll be because dominoes fell elsewhere. In that scenario, it would seem likely that the Yankees decided to put Ben Rice behind the plate full time and moved on from Austin Wells," Kuty wrote. "That seems unlikely. Wells is still an above-average defensive catcher who the Yankees hope could still show the promise his bat displayed through the minors and at various points in 2024."

Rice was a breakout hitter for New York this past season, registering an .836 OPS while smashing 26 home runs and totaling 64 RBI over 530 plate appearances. He also was a catcher in the minors and was behind the plate for 36 games in 2025.

But it doesn't seem like the Yankees are eager to replace Wells with Rice.

Wells is a former first-round draft pick who is under team control through 2029, so there is motivation for New York to keep him. But how much longer with the Bronx Bombers tolerate Wells' less than stellar bat?

For reference, Wells batted .170 when the Yankees were behind this past season. He also batted .174 with runners in scoring position with two outs, and he hit .180 in late and close situations. Moreover, Wells hit .168 with two outs, .161 with two strikes and .126 when the pitcher is ahead.

The University of Arizona product definitely showed some flashes in 2024, particularly when he OPSed .941 and .936 in July and August, respectively. But overall, Wells has largely struggled at the plate, so if he doesn't show any signs of improvement in 2026, the Yankees should seriously consider moving on.

To be quite frank, it's something New York should already be considering.